Entering Canadian Lottery Through Mail Is Illegal

Have you received a letter from Canada lately with various forms to fill out and return with money? If you haven't, you probably will soon.

A Canadian lottery is conducting a mass mailing, but if you are a Florida resident, it is illegal to enter any lottery by mail.

An investigative team with the Department of Consumer Services in Washington, D.C., is checking into the lottery and wants to know when someone receives a lottery letter. If you receive a lottery letter, it should be sent to The Consumer Protection Specialists, P.O. Box 4327, Atlanta GA, 30302.

-- Be cautious about letters or telephone calls from solicitors saying you and your spouse have won a free gift. In order to receive the gift, often you both must travel to another part of Florida and attend a presentation by executives of a time-sharing corporation.

If you attend one of these sales presentations, do not offer confidential credit information such as bank account balances and numbers until you have read the contract thoroughly. A high-pressure sales pitch usually accompanies a contract.

As far as mail solicitation, most companies do not intend to send you a free gift for nothing. Read between the lines because usually something must be purchased to get that freebie.

State legislators are considering a bill this session that could put a clamp on unwanted phone solicitations. Send a note to your legislator if you favor a law that would prohibit unsolicited calls. A similar bill died last year because of a lack of public support.

-- A man with better business division experience is helping out at the Lake County Better Business Division. George Roth, Tavares, is volunteering his time to assist residents with business complaints.